Chapter 288: Righteous Fury, Original Intent
"What's wrong with him?"
'Fu Hua' leaned against the transparent isolation glass, staring blankly at the sleeping Siegfried as she asked.
She wasn't familiar with Siegfried. Fu Hua herself hadn't been close to him, and Kiana certainly wouldn't go around sharing painful memories with others.
Naturally, 'Fu Hua' had no idea what Siegfried had been through.
But she did know that the man inside was a high-priority individual listed in the Schicksal database—a former top-ranked knight of Schicksal, and later, their most wanted traitor. He had to be strong—and most importantly, he was Kiana's father.
Cecilia-1415 first conducted the usual check on his vital signs, recorded some data, and replaced a few consumable devices. Only then did she walk up to the glass dome and stand face-to-face with "Fu Hua."
Cecilia-1415 spoke:
"Miss Fu Hua, the information regarding this individual is under partial confidentiality. If you wish to know the details, please submit a request for access verification. Until then, I cannot disclose any information—thank you for your understanding. I am just a poor wage-less worker, after all."
"What? Sigurd doesn't even pay you? That's so heartless!"
'Fu Hua' widened her eyes, her attention completely derailed, looking pitifully at the elegant woman behind the glass.
Cecilia-1415 kept a straight face and replied:
"Due to the high cost of body reconstruction back then, all Cecilia units are currently in debt. Our wages are fully used to repay that debt, aside from basic living needs... Although, if there's something urgent we need, it's fairly easy to get approval."
Cecilia-1415 sighed with worry, concerned about Lord Sigurd's lack of financial acumen.
Just their current living expenses already far exceeded their meager wages. The longer they worked while in debt, the more Sigurd lost. 1415 was really worried—if Lord Sigurd went bankrupt, where would they even find a new employer?
"Uh, don't panic. If he goes bankrupt, come to me. Mount Taixuan can afford to support you all."
"Thank you for your support!"
Cecilia-1415 bowed with excitement, already planning to report the good news to the others: backup employer secured.
'Fu Hua' blinked blankly for a moment, then shook her head hard and pointed at Siegfried.
"No, no! You've totally derailed my train of thought! What's wrong with him? Is he sick? Is it serious? Does Kiana know?"
"Please verify your clearance first. As a courtesy to an esteemed guest and now potential employer, 1415 will summon the system lead—Icarus."
Cecilia-1415 initiated a complicated-looking process to call Icarus, though in reality, just shouting her name would've worked most of the time.
As 'Fu Hua' listened to 1415's peculiar way of speaking, she felt both exasperated and amused. If the empty halls of Mount Taixuan had someone like her to banter with, wouldn't it be so much more fun?
Thinking this way, it felt like the past few thousand years had been wasted—why had she stayed all alone guarding that empty mountain for so long? Sure, she'd taken a few disciples here and there, but most of the time it was far too quiet. What a waste of her immortal skills! If she'd at least gotten a little maid to mess around with, wouldn't life have been way better?
Sighing, 'Fu Hua' suddenly thought of her former disciple, little Lixue.
Forget the others, they were all rebellious traitors; not killing them on the spot was probably a brain glitch. But Lixue… what a pity.
Wasn't Sigurd studying resurrection techniques? Maybe she could ask him for a favor someday. A grand immortal like the Red Kite Immortal surely had that kind of pull, right?
Once again, "Fu Hua's" thoughts began to drift…
Meanwhile, Cecilia-1415 was also conversing with Icarus.
"System Icarus at your service. Miss Fu Hua, Unit No. 1415, how may I assist you both?"
"Big Sis Icarus, Miss Fu Hua is requesting access to information regarding Siegfried Kaslana—applying for decryption clearance," Cecilia-1415 explained.
"...Clearance approved. Decryption authorized. Relevant data and files have been transmitted to Unit 1415's personal terminal. Please note: this information negatively affects the personal image of the Overseer of Schicksal and may impact cooperation between organizations. Handle with caution and follow confidentiality protocols strictly."
"Understood." Cecilia-1415 saluted and spoke with utmost seriousness.
Icarus's voice ceased, and Cecilia-1415 walked to the outside of the isolation ward, activating a series of virtual screens that appeared in front of "Fu Hua."
"Miss Fu Hua, here is all the detailed data. Please keep it confidential. Would you like me to explain it for you?" Cecilia-1415 asked.
"I'll look through it myself first… There's a video summary—let's watch that."
What followed was a comprehensive review of the infamous Mediterranean incident: Otto's dark schemes that drove Siegfried to the brink, Welt's forced intervention, Amber's squad raiding Einstein and Tesla, and finally Sigurd's sudden interference that made Otto back down. Every step was laid out with clear context and painful detail.
BANG!!!
'Fu Hua' punched through the solid wall of the hospital ward, her face dark with fury. Her crimson eyes glowed with a murderous intensity.
"What the hell is this?! That Otto bastard really deserves to rot in hell!"
"You're not the first to say that..." Cecilia-1415 responded quietly, omitting her usual narrative closing. No Cecilia unit could remain unmoved after watching that video. After all, the clone bodies used as disposable pawns were exactly the same as them.
"So Siegfried refuses to wake up because of the mental trauma?"
"That's only part of it. The other reason lies in his genes. The Kaslana bloodline originates from the Previous Era—they are descendants of Dr. Mei and Kevin Kaslana, born from a test tube."
"Dr. Mei's intelligence isn't heritable through genetics, but the Honkai beast genes from Kevin, a fusion warrior, have been passed down through the Kaslana line."
"Siegfried originally possessed only a small, stable portion of these genes. But during the Siberia mission, he injected a deep-fusion serum left behind from the Previous Era. Since then, his genetic structure has been unstable."
"During the Mediterranean battle, Siegfried pushed his Honkai power to its limits multiple times, causing the serum's effects to spiral out of control. The Honkai beast genes overwhelmed his human ones... In simple terms, he was gradually turning into a Honkai beast."
"The collapse of his physical functions due to genetic instability is the main reason Siegfried Kaslana has remained unconscious."
"However, this issue has now been resolved. After repeated treatment and genetic tuning by Lord Sigurd, Siegfried's body has been infused with a new set of specialized genes to help stabilize the fusion."
"According to Lord Sigurd's plan, Siegfried will soon complete his gene fusion and become a fusion warrior of the new era. After that, he can be awakened using conventional methods."
Cecilia-1415 explained all this thoroughly while gazing quietly through the glass at the man sleeping on the bed—the man chosen by their original. Every Cecilia unit had thoroughly studied and understood him.
To say they were in love with him would be nonsense. The original Cecilia was one thing; the clones were another. But even so, it was hard to remain emotionally detached when facing the reality that he was that man.
"...That's enough. I'm leaving now."
"Would you like a guide? Where are you going?" Cecilia-1415 asked politely.
"I'm going to flatten Otto!"
"You'd better not."
"Otto has plenty of spare bodies. You can't kill him. Besides, he's still crucial to Lord Sigurd's current plans." Cecilia-1415 advised with a calm, factual tone.
'Fu Hua' let out a cold snort, then kicked down the wall in front of her. With the air thick with killing intent, she stepped over the rubble and stormed out.
. . . . . . . .
"What are you thinking? Are you seriously going to storm Schicksal HQ?"
"Oh, come on, Old Timer. Don't tell me you don't want to! I am you—I don't believe you're unmoved!"
"...I'm not. But I also understand the bigger picture. And I know… Otto's contributions are no less than his crimes. I don't believe in letting good deeds cancel out evil—but sometimes, compromise is necessary. Don't worry, there are plenty of people who want Otto to pay. His judgment will come."
"Tch! That's what I mean—my past self lived bound in chains, too scared to do anything! Just look at you! Evil goes unpunished, monsters walk free, and you spin excuse after excuse to comfort yourself. You're just a rusted-out hunk of iron, you know that?!"
Faced with the brutal honesty of this "Fu Hua," the real Fu Hua, in her inner consciousness, fell into silence. She had no retort.
This surge of righteous fury from her counterpart... Fu Hua even found herself envying it. That unfiltered, raging fire—that was a right she had long since given up.
'Fu Hua' stood atop the base's outer wall. Below lay Benares, pinned down by countless restraints. She looked up at the sky, her back-mounted weapon sheath forming the shape of a massive greatsword. Her hand alternated between gripping the hilt and letting it go.
Only after a long while did she finally turn and climb down, her face cold and set.
"So, you're giving up?"
"Just recognizing what's a waste of time. Otto's combat power is average, but he's a master at staying alive. Once we've saved the world, once the grand mission is nearly complete—then I'll be the first to crush that disgusting man's skull."
"That's... very rational of you."
"I don't want to be rational. Being too rational turns you into someone like you—hesitant, bound, always holding back."
"...Maybe you're right."
In the inner world, Fu Hua let out a quiet sigh.
Suddenly, she understood why those confidential files were opened to "Fu Hua," this unpredictable entity. It was probably part of Bronya's plan. Maybe even Sigurd's—to test her character.
"So, tell me—what are you really feeling? Do you simply hate Otto, or is it sympathy for Siegfried?"
"Hah? Can't it be both? First of all, Siegfried is Kiana's father. And Otto's methods definitely hurt Kiana too. But even if Siegfried were just some random stranger, how do you expect me to stay indifferent after seeing what Otto did?"
"Righteous anger... born from compassion for others, and hatred of evil. That was always my original conviction. You truly are Fu Hua. As long as that conviction remains, you can't be wrong."
Hearing that voice of recognition from within, 'Fu Hua' paused in her steps.
"You... ugh, whatever. Not in the mood to argue if you 'accept' me or not. I'm off to find someone to fight. Gotta burn off some of this fire."
"Fair enough. We'll talk more when you're ready."
In the consciousness realm, Fu Hua watched her other self head toward the training grounds—and finally, a smile crept onto her face.
After teaching so many Herrscher students, Fu Hua no longer held any prejudice toward that identity. As long as the core of the person was good, nothing else mattered.
This child... could become a new companion.
That was the thought that settled in Fu Hua's heart.
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